Show your Paper Wheel edges

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kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

Since 2009 i've been sharpening knives on Paper Wheels, and i hope i'm not i'm the only one on this forum.
From time to time i will post my results here and i hope that others will do the same, 8)

Here's one i did a few days ago, a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in Elmax steel.
The factory edge had some light brown discoloration near the tip on one side, traces of some unknown black stuff that couldn't even be removed with acetone (visible in pic 1 & 3), and it could also barely cut copypaper.

This is how it looked before sharpening:
(pics can be clicked 2 x)

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First i removed the apex of the old edge by cutting a few times in a silicon carbide stone, then resharpened it with a Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond compound, followed by removing the tiny burr with a second Paper Wheel coated with 1 micron diamond compound.
This time i also polished the bevels a bit more with the same Wheel, just to see how the Elmax would do.
According to my Tormek angle gauge the new edge measures 30 degrees inclusive, can slice single ply toilet paper and easily whittle the hairs on the back of my hand from heel to tip.

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Last edited by kwackster on Tue Nov 06, 2018 6:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

Spyderco Paramilitary 2 in CTS-20CP steel.
The previous owner tried to sharpen it on an Edge-Pro, which sadly resulted in quite uneven bevels, several chips along the edge, and a piece of unremoved burr.
I removed the apex of the old edge by cutting a few times straight into a silicon carbide stone, and then resharpened it to an almost exact 30 degrees inclusive on a Paper Wheel with 15 micron diamond compound, then removed the tiny burr with a second Paper Wheel with 1 micron diamond compound.
Although i couldn't get both bevels exactly even in width, the new edge is now treetopping sharp without chips or burrs.
I call this a bling & bite finish, as to the casual observer it may look like a mirror finish (diamond compounds cut very clean), but when inspected up close with a loupe you can see a fine scratch pattern perpendicular to the edge that still provides for enough bite for most EDC tasks.

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CTS-20CP data sheet: https://www.cartech.com/toolsteelspowder.aspx?id=3686

Comparison between CTS-20CP and CPM-S90V steel: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... P+Ankerson
Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

A Chinese Ganzo 704 like i received it from Hong Kong:

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A very nice knife for the money (i paid about 17 US dollars including shipping from Hong Kong to the Netherlands), but with quite an obtuse edge angle of about 35-40 (ish) degrees inclusive and also a bit blunt not a very good cutter.
On the blade it says 440C stainless steel, but it's more than likely it's Chinese cousin 9Cr13MoV.

Reprofiled with a standard Paper Wheel with silicon carbide grit to 30 degrees inclusive, refined it just a bit with a second Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond compound, and finally removed the tiny burr with a third Paper Wheel coated with 1 micron diamond compound.
It cuts hair above the back of my hand and can slice single layer toilet paper.

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

An older one, a user custom Jens Anso from a Dutch knifeforum member after a tune-up by a Dutch knifemaker.
Part of the tune-up was a two-step stonewash treatment of the RWL34 blade, which unavoidably also removed the original edge.

I put on a new edge using a standard Paper Wheel with silicon carbide grit, refined it with a second Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond paste, and finally removed the very small burr on the Tormek leather wheel with some 1 micron diamond compound
This leaves an edge that looks almost polished, but has more bite than when finished with the polishing Paper Wheel using standard aluminum oxide.

Before sharpening:

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After sharpening:

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

Also an older one: a DPX Hest folder with D2 steel blade from a Dutch forum member.
This one was reprofiled to an ever so slight convex edge of between 25 and 30 degrees inclusive on a standard Paper Wheel with silicon carbide grit, then refined on a second Paper Wheel with 15 micron diamond paste, and finally i removed the very small burr on the Tormek leather wheel.

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Close-up of the 15 micron finish:

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

Another earlier one, this time a user Spyderco Military in S90V steel from a Dutch forum member who requested a little more bling.
First i used a standard Paper Wheel with silicon carbide grit, followed by a second Paper Wheel with 15 micron diamond paste as well as a third Paper Wheel with 6 micron diamond paste, after which the tiny burr was removed on the Tormek leather wheel.
It's not a true mirror edge, as with the magnifying glass in my Victorinox SwissChamp i can still see fine scratching, but with the naked eye it's close.
Sharpness is hairwhittling (both to and from the root) and it can also slice single layer toiletpaper with ease.

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

Custom Sponaugle 154CM droppoint hunter Loveless style from a Dutch forum member & professional hunter.
The knife has been in use for some time, and it was kept more or less sharp by the owner with the help of a Spyderco Sharpmaker.
However, due to the original edge angle being somewhat too large (35/40-ish near the heel developing into 35/30-ish towards the point), and also being a bit uneven keeping it in working condition was becoming a nuisance, and the point becoming rounded was not helping either.

A new very slightly convex edge of almost exactly 30 degrees inclusive was made with just a standard Paper Wheel, after which i removed the burr on my Tormek leather wheel (the edge keeps a little more bite that way, which works better for hunting knives imo)
The new edge now transitions smoothly into the ricasso and there's a new point too.

Before sharpening:

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After sharpening:

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

A Strider SMF with S110V blade from a Dutch forum member.
According to my Tormek angle gauge the old edge measured +/- 40 degrees inclusive from the heel to half an inch before the tip where it changed into 45 degrees inclusive.
The owner uses this knife mostly to cut various kinds of green wood & twigs in horticulture, and had already tried his hand at reprofiling the edge himself with a DMT Diafold.
Together we came to the conclusion that the edge could do with a full reprofiling, as well as with a finer edge finish to better suit his specific purposes.
BTW: the owner also contacted Duane Dwyer by mail, among other things to ask him about the hardness of this S110V blade, and according to Duane it measures 61 HRC.

This was the knife before sharpening:

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After reprofiling & sharpening.
The new edge angle came out at +/- 32 degrees inclusive along the entire edge, and it can treetop armhair and slice single ply toilet paper.
Probably due to having the flu at the moment my hands didn't do exactly what i wanted them to do, and as a result i didn't manage to get both bevels completely symmetrical.
Grit progression: a Paper Wheel with 220 grit SiC for reprofiling, a second Paper Wheel with 15 micron diamond compound for refining, and a third Paper Wheel with 0.25 micron diamond compound for removing the tiny burr.

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

A while ago i reprofiled & sharpened this Ontario Afghan Bush in (probably) 5160 steel for a Dutch forum member, who when he received it tested it quite rigorously to see how the the knife would hold up with it's new edge.
The pictures show the knife with it's new edge measuring 35 degrees inclusive, a 15 micron diamond compound Paper Wheel finish, and a treetopping sharpness.

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This was the mail i got from him when he was done testing:
(translated from Dutch)

Hereby i send you the results of the batonning test: my arm hurts and the knife just laughs at me.

I started with batonning through some standard firewood, which didn't cause any problems.
Then i proceeded to baton right through a hardwood pole with a big burl (?) in it (with a lot of effort from my side)
I then replaced the baton with a hard rubber hammer for a bit more comfort and hitting power, and with this i managed to drive the edge about half an inch crossgrain into another piece of tropical hardwood.
After this i cleaned the knife, and the edge would still pushcut through paper.

I almost forgot to mention that i also put the knife sideways with the point on a wooden block and gave it about 20 hard whacks with the rubber hammer on both sides of the knife.
Then i tested the point strength by stabbing it into hardwood and breaking it free sideways.
I think the knife already has endured more than it will ever have to in real life.

After all this i could still shave the hair on my leg on skin level, and after a bit of stropping it could treetop again.
Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

Some time ago i did this rather large Strider fixed blade for a Dutch forum member.
According to my Tormek angle gauge the factory edge measured 50 to 55 degrees inclusive and it wasn't very sharp either.

Grit progression: reprofiled on a standard Paper Wheel with 220 grit SiC, refined it a little with a second Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond compound, and finally removed the tiny burr with a third Paper Wheel coated with 0,25 micron diamond compound.
The new & slightly convex edge measures around 35/36 degrees inclusive, and can both slice single layer toilet paper and treetop the hairs on the back of my hand.

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

A while ago i sharpened this Buck Hartsook in S30V steel for a Dutch forum member:

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The edge was done on Paper Wheels with diamond compounds exclusively, and the new & slightly convex edge measures +/- 30 degrees inclusive.
Remarkably useful little knives with well hardened S30V steel.
Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

This brand new Endura ZDP-189 sadly had a less than optimal factory edge, and since this beautiful steel deserves better i reprofiled & sharpened it myself.

Before sharpening.
My guess is that these knives are belt sharpened and then have the burr stropped of on a buffer.
On this knife however it seemed like the buffer ran out of cutting compound (or the sharpener just did a sloppy job), as through my loupe i could see remains of a burr almost along the entire edge. (some of it is partly visible in picture 2)
Due to this the sharpness was of course severely lacking.
I also measured the edge angle to be 35 degrees inclusive, which i think is a bit too large for a folding knife in ZDP-189 steel.

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After sharpening.
First i removed the old apex by cutting a few times straight into a silicon carbide stone, then reprofiled the edge to a slightly convex +/- 25 degrees inclusive angle with a Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond compound, and finally removed the tiny burr with a second Paper Wheel coated with 0.25 micron diamond compound.
This leaves the scratch pattern created by the 15 micron diamond particles intact as much as possible, creating an edge that with the naked eye almost looks like a mirror, but which has the bite of a coarser edge.
I call this a "bling & bite" finish, and i have found it to work very well in EDC use on harder high carbide steel types.
It's also quite difficult to show correctly in pictures, as the lens of my cheap camera has a tendency to show more of the scratch pattern than can be seen in reality with the naked eye.

With the reduced edge angle & the much finer edge finish the knife will not only cut in a completely different league, it can now also be kept sharp on the 30 degrees slots of a Spyderco Sharpmaker or Lansky Turnbox.

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Specs:

Length open: 22,2 cm
Length closed: 12,7 cm
Blade length: 9,6 cm
Blade thickness: max 3,0 mm (ricasso)
Edge length: 8,8 cm
Steel: ZDP-189 powder steel
Hardness: 64-65 HRC
Weight: 103 gram
Handle material: British Racing Green FRN on steel liners
Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

A few weeks ago a knife collector asked me if i could sharpen the false edge on a Gerber Applegate Fairbairn folder.
On this knife the blade is completely shrouded by the handle when closed, so there is no risk of injury while carrying it.
The owner also wanted the new bevels to be a bit shiny.

This older YouTube clip by Nutnfancy showcases this mod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR984DMcQ1o

This was the knife before sharpening:

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And the result.
Ground the new bevels with a Rubber Wheel coated with 230 grit diamond powder, then refined all bevels with a Paper Wheel coated with 15 micron diamond compound, and finally removed the tiny burr remnants with the Tormek leather wheel & some 1 micron diamond compound.
The edges measure 35 degrees inclusive and are treetopping sharp.

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

The factory edge of this Spyderco PM2 in S110V steel was barely shaving armhair on skinlevel, and according to my Tormek WM200 the edge angle was near 35 degrees inclusive.
The old apex was removed by cutting several times straight into a silicon carbide stone, and then i used 4 different Paper Wheels coated with diamond compounds (15, 6, 3, and 1 micron) to create & refine the new edge.
Normally i don't take high carbide steel types this far, but in this case i wanted to see how the S110V steel would do.

The new & ever so slightly convex edge measures a hair below 30 degrees inclusive, and can easily whittle a normal chest hair towards the point along the entire edge.
Thinner ones will sever immediately upon touching.
My cheap camera is not really able to show full details, but at least it gives some impression.

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A Belgian member of the Dutch forum who's also into sharpening sent me a USB-camera as a gift, and although i still have lots to learn about what it can do i managed to take a couple of pics of the current edge on the PM2 in S110V steel:

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
kwackster
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

Re: Show your Paper Wheel edges

Post by kwackster »

The Manix 2 lightweight in S110V is a superb knife, and it exemplifies Spyderco's motto "simplify and add lightness".
The model only seems to have two possible disadvantages: it takes up quite a bit of real estate in your pocket, and some people can't seem to get over the fact that it has an ultra lightweight plastic handle, which to them makes the knife feel cheap and not worth the asking price.
But after providing them with some links to real life tests with this knife some of them change their minds :-)

I do hope however that the factory edges get some more attention in the future, as i already had to resharpen 5 pcs of this model that couldn't even slice copy paper.
Upon inspection all these edges had visible burr remains and edge angles measured around 35 degrees inclusive.

This is one of them with it's new bling & bite edge, as i call them: reprofiled to +/- 30 degrees inclusive with 230 grit diamond powder on a Rubber Wheel, refined with 15 micron diamond compound on a Paper Wheel, and deburred with 0,25 micron diamond compound on a second Paper Wheel.
To me the shiny bevels are actually a side effect, as it's the clean cutting of the large amount of vanadium carbides that i'm after.

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Last edited by kwackster on Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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